International Day of Rural Women 2015, October 15

Международный день сельских женщин,15 октября.

 国际农村妇女日, 10月15日.

  اليوم الدولي للمرأة الريفية، 15 أكتوبر.

International Day of Rural Women, 15 October.

Día Internacional de las Mujeres Rurales, 15 de octubre.

Journée internationale de la femme rurale, 15 octobre.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day Of Rural Women 2015.

This year’s observance of the International Day of Rural Women falls just after last month’s landmark adoption by world leaders of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  Our challenge now is to seize the opportunity offered by this inspiring new framework to transform rural women’s lives. 
Rural women are a significant, vital and sizeable proportion of humankind. They are farmers and farm workers, horticulturists and market sellers, business women and community leaders.  Rural women are the backbone of sustainable livelihoods and provide food security for their families and communities.  Their work is crucial not only for the progress of rural households and local economies, but also for national economies through rural women’s participation in agricultural value chains.

Yet rural women suffer disproportionately from poverty, and face multiple forms of discrimination, violence and insecurity. Fifteen years of effort under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have produced only marginal improvements in the situation of rural women. Rural women fare worse than rural men and urban men and women for every MDG indicator for which data are available. 
The time has come to turn that around. The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have gender equality and women’s empowerment at their core, and include a target to “double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women”. Indeed, rural women are critical to the success of almost all of the 17 SDGs.
To do better for rural women over the next 15 years, we must build on the lessons learned during MDG implementation. Extreme poverty is largely a rural phenomenon. We must build resilient social protection systems, labour and product markets, governance institutions, and civil society organizations so that rural women can both contribute to and benefit from sustainable development.
The International Day of Rural Women is an opportune moment to amplify rural women’s voices and experiences from around the globe. Let us act on our commitment to creating opportunities for rural women across every relevant goal -- and thereby advance progress for all.

Ban Ki-moon

FORUM :  International Day of Rural Women - October 15

Rural Areas Worldwide

CAMPAIGN :  Start of 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their communities 1-17 Oct.

 Launch of the 2015 Rural Women Campaign Kit

 Please remember that the Kit is central to the campaign "17 Days of activism 1-17 October". For this reason we stress that you familiarize yourself with the information contained in the Kit, including the list of 17 Campaign themes, and especially the main  theme of the year.

In addition, we draw your attention to the wide array of suggested ideas for action presented in the Kit to support and assist you in developing your own activities and events, be it at a local, national or international level. Please note that you remain completely free to focus your campaign on the theme(s) of your choice.
For your information, please note that WWSF will cintinue awarding the annual Prize for women's creativity in rural life on 15 October - International Day of Rural Women.

“17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of rural women and their communities :1-17 October 2015"

The 17days Themes : We invite you to rise and claim your rights!

1 Oct. Claim your right to development as a woman's right
2 Oct. Claim your right to education for you and your children
3 Oct. Claim your right to safe water
4 Oct. Claim your right to health and wellbeing
5 Oct. Claim your right to adequate housing
6 Oct. Claim your right to live in a clean environment
7 Oct. Claim your right to mitigate and adapt to climate change
8 Oct. Claim your right to economic development & autonomy
9 Oct. Claim your right to information & communication technology
10 Oct. Claim your right to land and inheritance
11 Oct. Claim your right to decision-making and leadership
12 Oct. Claim your right to security, safety and an end to violence
13 Oct. Claim your right to peace
14 Oct. Claim your right to hold your leaders accountable
15 Oct. Claim your right - Celebrate rural women & the International Day of Rural Women
16 Oct. Claim your right to food & participate in the World Food Day
17 Oct. Claim your right to an adequate standard of living & Participate in the Intl. Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Launch of The 2015 Rural Women Campaign Kit

RESOURCES :

UN System

• World Survey on the Role of Women in Development 2014: Gender Equality and Sustainable Development (UN Women)
  
• UN Women
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
  • Gender
  • Rural Poverty Portal
  • Gender in Agriculture (in partnership with the World Bank)
  • IFAD Brochure on Rural Women
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
  • Socio-economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA), in partnership with ILO, the World Bank and UNDP
  • Dimitra Project: Gender, Rural Women and Development

Further Information

• Global Issues: Women
• WomenWatch: Rural Women and Development
  
• Millennium Development Goals 
• UNiTE To End Violence Against Women

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015, October 13

 国际减灾日, 10月13日.

International Day for Disaster Reduction,13 October.

Día Internacional para la Reducción de los Desastres,13 de octubre.

Journée internationale de la prévention des catastrophes, 13 octobre.

 Международный день уменьшения опасности бедствий, 13 октября.

 اليوم الدولي للحد من الكوارث، 13 أكتوبر

 2015年主题：传统、土著和地方知识的力量

 Theme 2015 : Knowledge for life.

 Tema de 2015: Conocimiento para la vida.

 Thème 2015 :  Des connaissances pour la vie

 Тема Дня 2015 года «Знания во имя жизни»

 موضوع عام 2015: المعرفة للحياة

#IDDR2015

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015.

This year’s observance of the International Day for Disaster Reduction is dedicated to the power of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge.
In March 2015 in Sendai, Japan, I met with the President of Vanuatu, His Excellency Baldwin Lonsdale, at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. On that very day, his island nation was devastated by Cyclone Pam, one of the strongest storms ever to strike the Pacific.
The force of the storm led to expectations that there would be great loss of life. Thankfully, this was not the case. One reason was that cyclone shelters built in the traditional style from local materials, saved many lives.
Traditional and indigenous knowledge is the indispensable information base for many societies seeking to live in harmony with nature and adapt to disruptive weather events, a warming globe and rising seas.
In Cameroon, low-tech local knowledge passed down from generation to generation helps farmers to cope with drought by soaking maize and bean seeds before planting. Another time-honoured practice -- sprinkling ash over the maize and seeds for a couple of months -- helps keep pests away.
Resilience is the sum of many such acts of disaster risk reduction at the local level.
In the Arctic region, we depend greatly on the local knowledge of indigenous peoples to understand the impacts of climate change, because what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic.
Changes that affect the availability of traditional food sources highlight the challenge that climate change presents for all of humanity, not just people living in the Arctic.
Local knowledge of the impacts of urbanization, population growth, eco-system decline and greenhouse gas emissions is especially important in an era when more and more disasters are climate- and weather-related.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction recognizes the importance of community-level engagement in disaster risk reduction. It also underlines how traditional knowledge can complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk management.  Building resilience to disasters is also a key feature of the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, the framework that will guide our efforts to end poverty and promote shared prosperity on a healthy planet by 2030.
On this International Day, let us recognize the efforts of communities, large and small, who put their wisdom to use in reducing disaster risk and sharing their precious “knowledge for life”.

Ban Ki-moon

 Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO , on the occasion of International  Day for Disaster Reduction 2015, 0ctober 13th.

 Knowledge saves lives .  

This day is an opportunity to focus on the vital importance of traditional indigenous and local knowledge in disaster risk reduction with respect  to natural hazards. The contribution of indigenous and local knowledge  to resilience among vul nerable populations was highlighted when the tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean in 2004 .  

The third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (14-18 March 2015) in Sendai , Japan, particularly emphasized the need to make  this knowledge better known for the benefit of all. The Sendai Framework thus  campaigns for greater cooperation between governments, local authorities,  communities and indigenous peoples in the formulation and implementation of policies and standards for natural disaster prevention. UNESCO is firmly engaged in this process, through its scientific, educational and  cultural expertise. UNESCO  is committed to the widest possible dissemination of indigenous knowledge to meet the challenges of climate change and natural hazards, especially in remote areas such as small islands, high altitude zones and  the humid tropics.  

UNESCO has launched an initiative in the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Indonesia to record local 

knowledge that helps to predict, mitigate and adapt to storms, cyclones and the effects of climate change .  

It all demonstrate s the  profound knowledge and mastery of the environment by the peoples who live there,  which we must urgently include in  natural  disaster management policies. On the island of Ambae , in Vanuatu, UNESCO  has helped to develop a participatory approach so as to integrate tr aditional and scientific knowledge in the  management of volcanic hazards.  

On the occasion of this Internation al Day, we are  inviting Vanuatu schoolchildren recently affected by Tropical Cyclone Pam to write essays, poems and stories that depict the use of traditional and local knowledge .  

This traditional and indigenous knowledge also helps to protect the cultural heritage against natural hazards and UNESCO is committed to making the best use of it. Effective and sustainable disaster risk prevention requires the combination of  indigenous practices and knowledge with scientific expertise. 

We cannot afford to ignore the knowledge available to us; instead, we must expand on and integrate  knowledge and expertise wherever  they may be found.  

I invite all of our partners and governments to promote this global vision: it is the key to building societies that  are all the more resilient when they are inclusive . 

Irina Bokova

Facts and Figures

• More than 226 million people are affected by disasters every year. Over the last 40 years, most of the 3.3 million deaths caused by disasters occurred in poorer nations.
• In 2000-2010, over 680,000 people died in earthquakes. Most of these deaths, due to poorly-built buildings, could have been prevented.
• Less than 0.7 per cent of total relief aid goes to disaster risk reduction, although every dollar spent on preparedness saves 7 dollars in response.
• Between 2002 and 2011, there were 4,130 recorded disasters from natural hazards around the world, in which more than 1.117 million people perished and a minimum of US$1,195 billion was recorded in losses.
• In East Asia and the Pacific, the risks of dying from floods and cyclones have decreased by two thirds since 1980.

FORUM :  International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction - 13 October

This year's international Day for Disaster Reduction highlights the value of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge.

• IDDR 2015 Concept Note
• Indigenous knowledge for disaster risk reduction: good practices and lessons learned from experiences in the Asia-Pacific regione 
•  Local and indigenous knowledge for community resilience
•  Looking Beyond Disasters

Knowledge for life - Stories

EVENTS : International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly. The UN General Assembly sees International Day as a way to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. Originally celebrated on the second Wednesday of October, the UN General Assembly decided in 2009 to designate October 13th as the date to celebrate IDDR.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction is a day to celebrate how people and communities are reducing their risk to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of DRR. It's also a day to encourage every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
The 2015 theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is part of a Step Up initiative started in 2011.

Date	Title	Location
06 Oct - 16 Dec 2015	Armenia: DRR Campaign Announced Dedicated to the IDDR15 Organization: ARNAP, Armenia - gov This year's campaign within the framework for the International Day for Disaster Reduction has been announced. Together with their stakeholders, the Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform of Armenia have organized a variety of workshops and events throughout October, November and December. Organized events: Event Organizer Training on "Environmental Emergency Management and FEAT Integration in Armenia"  UNDP, CMSA, MTAES, UN...	Armenia
09-10 Oct 2015	Cambodian Red Cross celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: CRC Cambodian Red Cross is again celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction / ASEAN Day for Disaster Management. This year is a special one as Cambodia is chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). Accordingly, the Cambodian Red Cross and IFRC country delegation will: Join the ACDM events October 9-10 at the Royal University of Phnom Pemh, hosted by National Committee for Disaster Management. Cambodian Red Cross and IFRC will...	Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
09 Oct 2015	Summit of Conscience for the Climate: Ifugao tribe ceremony Organization: UNISDR AP To celebrate International Day for Disaster Reduction, Asian Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction Senator Loren Legarda and Jerry Velasquez from UNISDR will invite representatives of the Ifugao tribe to receive a certificate recognizing them as Champions for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Ifugoa tribe has been particularly active in protecting the 2,000-year-old Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a UNESCO world heritage site. The preservation...	Philippines (Metro Manila)
09 Oct 2015	Vietnam: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 - Knowledge for Life Organization: CCN For the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDRR) in 2015, the members of the Climate Change Network (CCN) in the Centre of Vietnam have co-organized an event with the theme "Knowledge for Life" launched by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Objectives: Create the opportunities to share and strengthen the awareness on using indigenous knowledge and experience together with scientific knowledge to manage...	Viet Nam (Da Nang)
10 Oct 2015	Italy: Flash-Mob to Celebrate "Community Champion IDDR 2015 “Knowledge For Life” Award Organization: Prov di Potenza, Italy - gov To celebrate the presentation of the award “Champion in the Reduction of the Disaster Risk for IDDR 2015” to the Province of Potenza on the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) 13th of October, the province is organizing the filming of a “flash-mob” to be sent to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Background: The theme this year for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR) is “Knowledge...	Italy (Potenza)
13 Oct 2015	#IDDR2015 in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands Organization: ULL The city and university will together celebrate International Day for Disaster Reduction in order to create awareness of the importance of disaster risk reduction actions. The Convento de Santo Domingo will host a set of participatory lectures on the role of traditional and local knowledge in complementing scientific studies on disaster risk management, and the importance of the participatory and community approaches to implement the Sendai Framework...	Canary Islands (Spain) (Tenerife)
13 Oct 2015	60 Solutions Against Climate Change: Exhibition Opening Organization: AFD, France - gov; Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Philippines - gov; Représentation permanente de la France, France - gov; UNISDR To celebrate International Day for Disaster Reduction, UNISDR will join the French and the Philippines Missions in Geneva and the French Agency for Development (AFD) and officially open Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s new exhibition “Sixty solutions against climate change”. It will be exhibited for one week, from the 13-20 October, on the Passerelle of the Palais des Nations, the United Nations’ office in Geneva. The exhibition opening...	Switzerland (Geneva)
13-14 Oct 2015	8th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference: Risk, Capability and Impact The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) Secretariat of Western Australia will host the 8th Australasian Natural Hazards Management (ANHM) Conference, with support from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. The conference coincides with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October, and to acknowledge this the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC is hosting a discussion panel as part of the conference. The panel, featuring three...	Australia (Perth)
13 Oct 2015	Bangkok: Thai Red Cross Society special event for International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: Thai Red Cross Thai Red Cross will hold activities on at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Around 500 participants – volunteers, staff, Youth volunteers, the media and general public – are expected. The event will include: A press conference An exhibition about community-based disaster risk reduction activities A seminar on disaster resilience Games and a Q&A about disasters, disaster preparedness and response with prizes Distribution of information,...	Thailand (Bangkok)
13 Oct 2015	Bangladesh: Commemeration of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction National Alliance For Risk reduction & Response Intitiatve (NARRI), a consortium of 10 INGOs working in Bangladesh, is commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk and Reduction on the 13th of October. NARRI contributes to the development of posters and pamphlets and is planning to have stalls with the department of Disaster Management Government of Bangladesh, displaying different contents on knowledge for life Government officials,...	Bangladesh (Dhaka)
13 Oct 2015	Bosnia-Herzegovina: International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: UN Theme The theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is knowledge for life with a toning on indigenous knowledge and traditional coping mechanisms that complement modern science and add to an individual’s or societies’ resilience. In our adaptation of the theme to BiH we interpret the heading ‘Knowledge for Life’ in its broadest sense; focusing on how the combination of natural hazards, exposure,...	Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo)
13 Oct 2015	Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge for DRR in the Philippines Organization: PRC The Philippine Red Cross, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, University of the Philippines and the Center for Disaster Preparedness are working together to celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction. On the 13 of October key actors from the Government and Civil Society Organizations in the Philippines will enable a space of dialogue to discuss the role of indigenous knowledge as a key element to build resilient communities. The...	Philippines (Manila)
13 Oct 2015	International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015: Knowledge for Life Organization: UNISDR The International Day for Disaster Reduction is a day to celebrate how people and communities are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of disaster risk reduction. The focus for 2015 is on the traditional, indigenous and local knowledge which complement modern science and add to an individual’s and societies’ resilience. For example, knowledge of early warning signals in nature can be vital to ensuring...
13 Oct 2015	Kyrgyzstan: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 Organization: IFRC On October 13, in order to celebrate the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Kyrgyzstan will take actions and measures designed to improve awareness on giving response to emergency situations all over the country. More than 1 million people in Kyrgyzstan live with a risk of an emergency. The region of Central Asia requires the population to get prepared for emergency response. And the Disaster Risk Reduction Day is a good opportunity to...	Kyrgyzstan
13 Oct 2015	Myanmar Red Cross Society activities for International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: MRCS Disaster risk reduction is one of the core activities of Myanmar Red Cross Society. For International Day for Disaster Reduction, Myanmar Red Cross Society will this year conduct activities at the national, regional, township and community levels, including: Particpating as partner of the national level celebration hosted by the Relief and Resettlement Department (at which they will distribute and display DRR material and photos). Joining Yangon activities,...	Myanmar
13 Oct 2015	Republic of Korea: International Day for Disaster Reduction - Q&A Organization: UNISDR International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015 highlights the value of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge. In the Republic of Korea, the International Day will celebrate the theme 'Knowledge for Life' by highlighting how local know-how builds safer and more resilient communities. Korean municipalities are among the most active in UNISDR's global Making Cities Resilient campaign. Their leadership is an excellent example of how local knowledge...	Korea, Rep of (Songdo)
13 Oct 2015	Romania: International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: Inspectorate for Emerg Situations Petrodava of Neamt County, Romania - gov This year, on the International Day for Disaster Reduction, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Petrodava of Neamt County has organized an earthquake exercise, aiming at providing information concerning the actions that should be adopted during an earthquake and immediately after its occurrence. The event will be developed in cooperation with the County School Inspectorate, involving all schools in Neamt County. On the 13th October, at 09:45...	Romania (Neamt County)
13 Oct 2015	Viet Nam Red Cross Society celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction with launch of World Disaster Report 2015 Organization: Vietnam Red Cross Society Viet Nam faces typhoons and floods every year, as well as a range of other disasters. Rapid population growth and urbanization are increasing the risks these communities already face. Vietnam Red Cross is working to help mitigate risks and to help communities become better prepared for when disasters strike. To celebrate IDRR and the launch of the World Disaster Report (WDR), the Viet Nam Red Cross (VNRC) will host a half-day public event in collaboration...	Viet Nam
13 Oct 2015	X Conference: International Day for Disaster Reduction The International Day for Disaster Reduction, established by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), is a reflection on the issue of disasters, taking into account the phases of prevention, rescue and rehabilitation. The theme of this conference is "The role of the private sector in reducing the risk of disaster," thus special attention will be given to the issue of “Knowledge for Life”. The papers presented at the conference...	Portugal (Amadora)
15 Oct 2015	Fiji: Seminar - International Day for Disaster Reduction “Knowledge for Life” Organization: UNISDR Pacific; USP This seminar will bring together several stakeholders working to integrate traditional knowledge in disaster risk reduction. Presentation topics will include the new curriculum for traditional knowledge in disaster risk reduction and climate change, and traditional preservation techniques for food in preparation for disasters. The event will wrap up with an award ceremony of the Pacific champion for traditional knowledge in disaster risk reduction....	Fiji (Suva)
16-18 Oct 2015	Indonesian Red Cross: Palang Merah Indonesia - celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: PMI; BNPB, Indonesia - gov Each year the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia or PMI) participates in International Day for Disaster Reduction, marked regionally as ASEAN Day for Disaster Management. This year, the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) of the Government of Indonesia is organising annual DRR day events from 16 to 18 October in Solo, Central Java. The focus is on flood risk reduction. Palang Merah Indonesia is taking active part in this national...	Indonesia (Solo, Central Java)
16 Oct 2015	Timor-Leste Red Cross celebrations for International Day for Disaster Reduction In collaboration with UNDP, ADPC and the National Disaster Management Directorate, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste are organising for IDDR: A workshop to discuss “Timor-Leste and the Sendai Framework, with an aim to establish what Timor-Leste needs to do to comply with the Sendai Framework. A hazard, vulnerability, risk and capacity mapping exercise in CVTL's Integrated Community Based Risk Reduction resilience program with target communities....	Timor-Leste
24 Oct 2015	IDDR 2015 at the United Nations Seventieth Anniversary in Egypt Organization: Ahmose; UNISDR ROAS Under the umbrella of the UN 70th anniversary celebration in Egypt, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Regional Office for Arab States (UNISDR ROAS) is organizing an awareness campaign under the theme "International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015 - Knowledge for Life" at the Gezira Youth Center in Zamalek, Cairo. The campaign will focus on the importance of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge...	Egypt (Cairo)
30 Oct 2015	Cambodian Red Cross celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction Organization: CRC Cambodian Red Cross is again celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction / ASEAN Day for Disaster Management. This year is a special one as Cambodia is chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). Accordingly, the Cambodian Red Cross and IFRC country delegation will: Join the ACDM events October 9-10 at the Royal University of Phnom Pemh, hosted by National Committee for Disaster Management. Cambodian Red Cross and IFRC will...	Cambodia (Kampong Cham)

 

Education to earthquake and tsunami risks. DIPECHO ACSUR project, Nicaragua.

UNESCO events

• "Looking beyond Disaster" Workshop
  13-15 and 21-23 October 2015, Vanuatu
• Pacific Training on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage in Small Island Developing States
  13-16 October 2015, Vanuatu
• Resilience in a time of uncertainty: Indigenous peoples and climate change"
  26-27 November 2015, UNESCO HQ, Paris, France

UNESCO activities

• Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • In Asia & the Pacific
• Disaster Preparedness in SIDS
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Education for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Reducing Disasters Risks at World Heritage Properties

RESOURCES 

Knowledge saves lives - UNESCO 
Knowledge saves lives - UNISDR

Lead Agency

• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
• Indigenous knowledge for disaster risk reduction: good practices and lessons learned from experiences in the Asia-Pacific region

United Nations Secretariat

• UN Humanitarian Affairs
• Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• ReliefWeb
• Climate Change
  

United Nations System

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• World Food Programme (WFP)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• UN Women

International Day of the Girl Child 2015, October 11

国际女童日, 10月11日.

 Международный день девочек, 11 октября.

International Day of the Girl Child, 11 October.

 Día Internacional de la Niña, 11 de octubre.

 Journée internationale de la fille, 11 octobre.

 اليوم الدولي للطفلة - 11 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر

...because every girl deserces to thrive

 2015年的主题：女青少年的力量：展望2030年.

 Тема Дня 2015 года : Инвестировать сегодня, чтобы помочь внести вклад в развитие нашего мира завтра.

 Theme 2015: The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.

 Tema 2015 : El poder de las adolescentes: la visión para el 2030.

 Thème 2015 : Le pouvoir des adolescentes - horizon 2030.

موضوع عام 2015: قوة الفتاة المراهقة في رؤية لعام 2030

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day of the Girl Child 2015.

The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals rightly include key targets for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They offer an opportunity for a global commitment to breaking intergenerational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination – and realizing our vision of a life of dignity for all.
Our task now is to get to work on meeting the SDG targets and making good on our promises to give girls all the opportunities they deserve as they mature to adulthood by 2030. That means enabling them to avoid child marriage and unwanted pregnancy, protect against HIV transmission, stay safe from female genital mutilation, and acquire the education and skills they need to realize their potential. It also requires ensuring their sexual health and reproductive rights. Girls everywhere should be able to lead lives free from fear and violence. If we achieve this progress for girls, we will see advances across society.
Just after the adoption last month of the global goals for sustainable development, world leaders heard a ringing call from Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was flanked in the General Assembly Hall by young people from around the world. “Promise us that you will keep your commitments and invest in our future,” she urged.
Three years ago, on the International Day of the Girl Child, I condemned the attack against Malala and called for more opportunities for girls everywhere. Today, I applaud her courage and that of her peers, who only want the chance to contribute to our world.
Let us resolve to invest in today’s adolescent girls so that tomorrow they can stand strong as citizens, political leaders, entrepreneurs, heads of their households and more. This will secure their rights and our common future.

Ban Ki-moon

FORUM : International Day of the Girl Child - October 11


As the global community launches the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for implementation over the next 15 years, it is a good time to recognise the achievements made in supporting young girls, while at the same time aspiring to support the current and upcoming generation of adolescent girls, to truly fulfil their potential as key actors in achieving a sustainable and equitable world. In recognition of the importance of investing in adolescent girls’ empowerment and rights, both today and in the future, the theme of International Day of the Girl Child for 2015 is: The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.
UN agencies, Member States, civil society organizations, and private sector stakeholders are called on to commit to putting adolescent girls at the centre of sustainable development efforts by making the following critical investments in their present and future:

• Invest in high quality education, skills, training, access to technology and other learning initiatives that prepare girls for life, jobs, and leadership.
• Invest in health and nutrition suitable to the adolescent years, including puberty education, menstrual hygiene management, and sexual and reproductive health education and services.
• Promote zero tolerance against physical, mental, and sexual violence.
• Enact and consistently implement social, economic, and policy mechanisms to combat early marriage and female genital mutilation.
• Invest in the creation and maintenance of social and public spaces for civic and political engagement, creativity and talent enhancement.
• Promote gender-responsive legislation and policies across all areas especially for adolescent girls who are disabled, vulnerable and marginalized, and victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The commitment by the global community to realising the potential of adolescent girls will directly translate into the girls as powerful and positive change agents for their own empowerment, for advancing gender equality and for the sustainable advancement of their nations.

TEDx Talks :

Why we shouldn’t shy away from sexual education? Dr V. Chandra-Mouli, WHO/HRP

As an expert in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, Dr. V. Chandra – Mouli, explains that sexuality education is not just teaching about sex, reproduction or how to avoid problems. It’s actually much more than giving information, it aims to prepare young people for a healthy sexual and reproductive life, but also a happy sexual and reproductive life.

Dr. V. Chandra-Mouli is an expert in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. He has worked for the World Health Organization in Geneva since 1993. His experience in generating knowledge and taking knowledge to action is global in scope and spans over 25 years. It includes support to Moldova. A key area of his focus is research on effective ways of providing sexuality education in different social, cultural and economic contexts, and using these research findings to strengthen sexuality education programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

RESOURCES :

•  The power of girls: ensuring health, unlocking potential - World Health Organization.
• No magic bullet, but no excuses: we know what works for women’s and girls’ health
  Marleen Temmerman, Director, Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction 24 September 2015
• Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health, 2016-2030
• UNICEF "Statistical Snapshot of Violence Against Adolescent Girls" Report
• UNICEF, International Day of the Girl Child
• UN Women, International Day of the Girl Child
• UN Women Special Focus compilation on the Girl Child, one of the 12 critical areas of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
• Message of Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child
• UN Secretary-General Campaign UNiTE to End Violence Against Women

World Mental Health Day 2015, October 10

Journée mondiale de la santé mentale, le 10 octobre.
World Mental Health Day, 10 October.
 世界精神衛生日,10月10日.
 Día Mundial de la Salud Mental, 10 de octubre.
 Всемирный день психического здоровья, 10 октября.

اليوم العالمي للصحة العقلية، 10 أكتوبر

Dignity in Mental health

Thème 2015: Dignité dans la santé mentale.
 2015年主題：尊嚴的心理健康
Theme 2015 : Dignity in Mental health.
 Tema de 2015: Dignidad de la salud mental.
 Тема 2015: Достоинство в области психического здоровья.
 موضوع عام 2015: الكرامة في الصحة العقلية.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD FEDERATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH ON WORD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2015.

 

This year the World Federation for Mental Health has chosen “Dignity in Mental Health” as the theme for World Mental  Health Day on 10 October.  “Dignity” is a word that has a number of meanings, none of them precise—but we all recognize  dignity when we see it, and more importantly, we recognize the lack of it when it’s absent. With this year’s theme we aim to show the ways in which dignity can be provided in all aspects of mental health, ranging  from care for our patients/consumers to the attitudes of the general public.  We hope you will support the theme with  activities in your own region that educate people about the importance of dignity in mental health. All too often people with mental disorders and their families find dignity absent in their dealings with health care provid - ers and with society at large.   They feel demeaned by the manner in which they are treated.  Health professionals don’t  have the time needed to address difficult problems.  Budget problems at the national level impact health and social care  budgets at the local level, making coordinated care difficult to achieve.   People with mental disorders frequently do not  get coordinated care for other illnesses that may be present, resulting in neglect of their overall health—and ultimately,  shortened lifespans. Having said the above I should also underline that a somewhat broader conception of dignity should include reciprocal  respect between providers and recipients of care. Synthesis and collaboration is certainly preferable to antithesis and con - frontation. We must all realize that the enemy is the illness, not the professionals. This year’s World Mental Health Day material looks at dignity in mental health from several directions.  In terms of mental  disorders, we think about dignity in treatment and care, and consumers of mental health services can provide valuable  insight about that.  Person-centered care is of major importance. We’ve included material about educating the public on mental and behavioral disorders to encourage a better understand - ing of these disorders. Approaching public education at an earlier point is an important part of this year’s material. Mental  health promotion is part of the foundation for spreading a message about dignity in mental health.  An appreciation that  good mental health is a valuable asset should encourage people to think about mental health more broadly and also think  about ways to support it and thus also serve prevention by reducing the risk of mental illness. For example, starting early  to teach young children and teenagers about social and emotional learning strategies lays a foundation for enlightened  future approaches. Incorporating dignity into an approach to mental health issues is fundamental to dealing with stigma and discrimination.   There is nothing dignified about subjecting people with any illness to stigma, adding to the problems they already cope  with through the illness itself.  We need to work harder towards changing social attitudes and spreading public awareness  of the nature of mental illness. As we seek to change outlooks, the importance of recovery is a central part of the message.  Dignity is inherent in recovery.  Care should encompass not just the present stage of the illness but the prospect that, over time, improvement can be  achieved and that recovery, both in its medical sense and in its broader psychosocial connotation is a realistic and certainly  dignified perspective. Prof. George

Christodoulou President, World Federation for Mental Health

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE WORLD FEDERATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH ON  WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2015.

Our theme for World Mental Health Day this year is “Dignity in Mental Health,” a topic that is fundamental to the provision  of good mental health care.  The World Federation selected the theme knowing that it is hard to define “dignity” precisely.   Yet respect for dignity represents an essential component of care and can produce major improvements in attitude to - wards people who are experiencing a multitude of problems.   The World Federation for Mental Health’s goal when it established World Mental Health Day in 1992 was public education  at all levels of society.    The Day, celebrated internationally on October 10, has more than fulfilled this aim.  It provides  an occasion for many regional and local efforts to put the spotlight on a selected aspect of mental health care--with the  added bonus of participating in a broadly celebrated international event.   “Dignity in Mental Health” provides the kind of topic that is relevant everywhere, and can be defined according to local cir - cumstances and needs. We have collected a group of papers from our expert authors who show that dignity in the mental  health context can have many meanings and can be applied to every aspect of care.  Further, a concern for dignity counters  the discrimination and bias that are all too often encountered by people with mental illness. Two of the articles in this year’s material point to the wider applications of a “dignity” viewpoint.  An article from Norway  about mental health promotion in schools shows the value of starting education about feelings and behavior at an early  age.  A paper about refugees in California suggests that the perspective of a refugee about mental health has many layers,  and recognizing the impact of a refugee’s desperate experiences may confer true dignity. As before, the campaign will encourage local organizers to use traditional media to expand local coverage through radio,  television, newspapers and magazines.  We have had a presence on social media for a while, but we hope to be more active  on Facebook and Twitter during the “dignity” campaign to extend its outreach to a new group of younger people. Many thanks for all your efforts to promote mental health awareness in your communities through World Mental Health  Day events.  Whether large or small, your events contribute to growing public awareness of mental disorders and the need  to provide appropriate support for those who experience them, and their families.

Dr. Patt Franciosi Chair, World Federation for Mental Health

WHO QualityRights Toolkit

Assessing and improving quality and human rights in mental health and social care facilities - WHO QualityRights

The WHO QualityRights tool kit provides countries with practical information and tools for assessing and improving quality and human rights standards in mental health and social care facilities. The Toolkit is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It provides practical guidance on:
° the human rights and quality standards that should be respected, protected and fulfilled in both inpatient and outpatient mental health and social care facilities;
° preparing for and conducting a comprehensive assessment of facilities; and
° reporting findings and making appropriate recommendations on the basis of the assessment.

The tool kit is designed for use in low-, middle- and high-income countries. It can be used by many different stakeholders, including dedicated assessment committees, nongovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, national health or mental health commissions, health service accreditation bodies and national mechanisms established under international treaties to monitor implementation of human rights standards and others with an interest in promoting the rights of people with disabilities.
The WHO QualityRights tool kit is an essential resource, not only for putting an end to past neglect and abuses but also for ensuring highquality services in the future.

Thousands of people with mental health conditions around the world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only discriminated against, stigmatised and marginalised but are also subject to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations.

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October, is "Dignity in mental health". This year, WHO will be raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity, through human rights oriented policy and law, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes, and public information campaigns.


FORUM : World Mental Health Day - October 10

 

General Information :

• World Mental Health Day 2015: Dignity and mental health
  Information sheet
• Supporting dignity through mental health legislationWHO paper for the World Federation of Mental Health 

 

Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020

Related links :

• WHO QualityRights Project – addressing a hidden emergency
• WHO QualityRights Tool Kit
• WHO Mindbank: More Inclusiveness Needed in Disability and Development
• World Federation for Mental Health
• Mental Health Action Plan 2013 - 2020
• Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013 - 2020. Resolution WHA66/8
• Background documents
• WHO Director-General's speech to launch the action plan
• Mental Health Atlas Project
• Mental Health Atlas 2014 
  •  Promoting rights and community living for children with psychosocial disabilities

EVENTS : 

WMHDay was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992 and continues to be the official day of commemoration every year. It was started as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter and It has become the largest and most widely promoted education and advocacy program of the WFMH.

Dignity un Mental health - World Federation of Mental Health

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INVITATION FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS

The Invitation for Medical Students to Participate in World Mental Health Day 2015 has been extended to October 5^th.

The World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH) has been organizing World Mental Health Day events on 10th October since 1992 with special themes for each year. This year’s theme is Dignity in Mental Health.

The Association for Community Mental Health Promotion (ACMHP) from Turkey, in consultation with experts from leading international mental health organizations, has planned an event to support World Mental Health Day through its own “Campaign against stigmatization in mental disorders.”

Medical students around the world will – and may already – be working with individuals living with mental illness. We invite you to provide your own theme or slogan to accompany the WFMH and ACMHP in Turkey.

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Prof Bulent Coskun
President of The Association for Community Mental Health Promotion
(Turkey)

Prof George Christodoulou
President of WFMH

Prof Gabriel Ivbijaro
President Elect of WFMH

World Post Day 2015, October 9

 Всемирный день почты, 9 октября.

World Post Day, 9 October.

 Día Mundial del Correo, 9 de octubre.

 Journée mondiale de la poste, 9 octobre.

世界邮政日, 10月9日. 

باليوم العالمي للبريد, 9 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر

 Тема 2015 годa  : Почта заявляет права на свое место в меняющемся коммуникационном пространстве.

Theme for 2015: Posts claim their place in the changing communication landscape.

El tema de 2015 : La innovación, la integración y la inclusión son los motores principales para el futuro del servicio postal.

Thème 2015 : Les postes se positionnent dans le paysage évolutif de la communication.

 2015年主题 : 邮政在变化的沟通格局中争取一席之地.

 موضوع عام 2015: الابتكار والإدماج والتكامل، أهم عوامل النجاح ضمانا لمستقبل القطاع البريدي

UPU Director General, Mr. Bishar Abdirahman HUSSEIN Message for the World Post Day 2015.

Innovation, Integration and Inclusion are the key drivers for the future of the Post

As we celebrate World Post Day today, we can look back with satisfaction on a rich history of transformation in the Post, which has always been able to find its place in the world market. Indeed, the Post can pride itself on being the oldest medium of communication, one that still plays a key role in the sending of information and goods.

From liberalization to privatization and the emergence of competition, the Post has faced many challenges to its survival, but none so daunting as the development of modern information technology. Today, the traditional postal business line – letter post – has been greatly challenged by faster and more efficient ways of communication thanks to advancements in information and communications technologies.

However, successful Posts have taken these challenges as opportunities to innovate and establish new market segments, understanding that a faster and more efficient communication medium is actually what the Post needs in order to build a new business value chain.

The transformation has not come easily. Indeed, there are still many Posts that have yet to take full advantage of new technologies to improve their business performance. Nevertheless, the message is loud and clear: the survival of the Post hinges on its ability to quickly change and innovate. Customer expectations, needs and tastes are changing, and the Post must change as well to meet these new demands.

With that realization, the Universal Postal Union, in its draft World Postal Strategy for 2017–2020, has identified postal industry reform as the key driver for the future. In its blueprint, Vision 2020, the UPU focuses on Innovation, Integration and Inclusion as the main factors that will drive postal business in the future.

The reality is that the future of the Post strongly depends on its ability to innovate and create new products and services. One of the keys to innovation will be the Post's capacity to embrace new technologies and transfer its trusted brands into the digital space. To achieve this, it will be critical for the Post to develop digital competencies, along with the relevant regulatory frameworks that will support the new environment.

For successful integration, the Post will need to build a seamless network that is connected both virtually and physically, and that has a local and international presence. Full integration calls for the involvement of all key players in the postal supply chain, including customs and transport, and the facilitation of cross-border e-commerce.

With the United Nations' new Sustainable Development Goals, which have been embraced by world leaders, the Post today has an even more relevant role to play as an infrastructure for development. Given its universal nature, the Post is best placed to drive the economic, social, financial and digital inclusion of all citizens of the world. Through its vast network, the Post should target micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the unbanked population as a new business frontier and create appropriate products to support the market. Achieving success in this area is one of the best ways to ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, for the benefit of the global community.

The future of the Post starts now. We must all work towards creating products and services that meet the needs of our current and future customers. Let us focus on innovation, integration and inclusion in our business to create a strong Post for the future. Only in doing so will the Post be able to achieve success and maintain its place in the world market, with a presence that continues to be visible and relevant.

I wish you a happy World Post Day.

Bishar Abdirahman HUSSEIN 

 Forum :  World Post Day - 9 October

 

Custumets just want to choose - UPU June 2015

Events :  2015 Letter-Writing Competition winners announced - Universal Postal Union
Sara Jadid from Lebanon has won the UPU’s International Letter-Writing Competition 2015 with her letter on the world she wishes to grow up in. She impressed an international jury with a heartfelt plea for a world without war.

2015 Letter-Writing Competition winners announced - Universal Postal Union

This year, 65 member countries submitted their winning letters from the national heats to the international round. Some 1.5 million children participated.

Related News:

Bronze-medal winning letter 2015 - 24.07.2015 16:26

Gold-medal winning letter 2015 - 24.07.2015 16:14

Silver-medal winning letter 2015 - 24.07.2015 16:21